Outlook: The Spartans came close to winning a league title for the second year in a row in 2012.

A one-point loss to eventual champion Bowsher is what motivates a Spartans team that enters this campaign with more questions than answers in regard to experience and depth.

This year's team will look a lot different. Deshawn Woodward (seven TDs), Will Goodbar (six TDs) and Dexter Johnson (six TDs) — scoring threats a year ago — have been loss to graduation. Finding players to fill their shoes will be key.

Harder believes the Spartans' toughest test will be finding leadership from his senior class. The depth of the team lies in the junior and sophomore classes.

He was encouraged about how the team approached conditioning and lifting weights during the offseason.

"We have only 12 seniors out, so we're going to be very, very young," Harder said. "But we're very happy with our young kids."